routers vs WAN vs T1 vs dialup

[glenn at vtecus.com (Glenn Burkhardt)]

Well, I listened to everyone's advice to buy a Cisco router, but decided to
run a Cyclades V.35 board on a Linux box for our fractional T1 Internet 
connection anyway.  And it's great!  The installation was a snap, and it all
just worked.  Thank goodness for standards!

The Cyclades PC-300 board (a.k.a. 'The Router Killer') came with a funky
connector that mated perfectly with the one on the DSU/CSU box supplied by
Net2000.  A driver for the PC-300 board was part of my Mandrake 7.2 
distribution, but I compiled and installed their most recent edition anyway.

The only hard part was deciphering their configuration instructions, which
were for a Cisco router.  I figured out that they run TCP/IP over a frame
relay.  The Cyclades installation instructions covered this case - one needs
two interfaces.  One runs the frame relay connection.  Another (pvc0 - 
"permanent virtual circuit") sits on top of the V.35/HDLC interface.  Someone
had been here before.

Net2000 turned their side on, I put in the correct IP addresses, and ping!
It worked!!

And, as I had hoped, my network configuration required only minor changes
from the one I had cooked up for our demand dial up connection.  Years ago,
Ultranet (now RCN) had provided us with a static IP address for our account.
Unknowingly, I had build a "router" for the company on a Linux box using
this account, and feed all the company's computers with it using IP 
masquerading and sendmail.  Logically, we have the same configuration as 
before, but with a different (and slightly faster) media layer.

All of our local phone lines are running on the other half of the T1.  Net2000
and their long distance provide (Global Crossing) worked out a deal that
reduces our phone bill by $600/month (we have a lot of overseas phone calls).
The Cyclades board will be paid for by next month...

The meager 166mhz/32mb/1gb Linux box barely notices the load.  But then again,
we're a small company, with only a dozen Internet users.



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